


Dracula Teeth

by humbug_lovebug



Category: Arctic Monkeys, Last Shadow Puppets, Milex - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M, M/M, Vampire Bites, Vampire Sex, Vampire Turning, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:42:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24191518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humbug_lovebug/pseuds/humbug_lovebug
Summary: Out of inspiration and seeking new experience, new people, Alex Turner finds it in a mysterious man who offers him a new life, Miles Kane.
Relationships: Alexa Chung/Alex Turner (Musician), Miles Kane/Alex Turner
Comments: 9
Kudos: 29





	1. The Pretty Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> I'll start by saying I have the bones of a plot, but no full, fleshed out ideas. If you have any suggestions or ideas, I'd very much appreciate it because let's be honest, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing lol. But I do hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have writing it, I've noticed there aren't enough vampire fanfics of my two favorite Shadow Puppets, so for the small minority who wanted this, you're welcome. I love and appreciate all of you who take the time to read this, I hope you enjoy. <3

He thinks it may be past midnight, or only 11? But Alex had already drank through his fourth beer and the night had only just begun, he wanted to have forgotten his name by morning. He groggily rubbed his eyes, the world starting to spin a little. He checked his phone again, hoping Alexa would answer. They hadn’t talked in months, but the third beer said it was a good idea since he was lonely. He hadn’t had writing material worth a damn in months, let alone a partner to share it with. She was in town, he’d seen it in her feed from the Monkeys’ account, wouldn’t hurt to say hi and maybe mess around, right?

From the bright light of his phone he could see she still had yet to read his message, his other hand sliding up his face to rub the bridge of his nose. Of course she wouldn’t answer, why was he stalking her social media? He wasn’t some kind of creep. It’d been weeks since he’d even touched an instrument or put pen to paper, he’d been too depressed to come up with anything worthwhile, he was practically grasping at any fragment of a lyric that seemed the least bit interesting.

A man adjacent to him at the bar sipped timidly at his beer, nails tapping the wooden bar. Alex felt the vibrations through the dense wood, and as he looked over at him, they locked eyes for the second time that night. His eyes were bright hazel, almost yellow, electrifying from the sight. _Keep that in the files for a lyric,_ he thought quickly. His eyes were drawing him in until the connection was severed by the man snapping his gaze to something else. He was a bit irritated with him, he knew he was watching him, what the hell did he want? A shag or something?

Alex tried to shake it off, checking his phone again. But his thoughts kept flitting to the mysterious stranger. Was he trying to lure him in? Sure, he was attractive, but Alex wasn’t gay. He bit his lip tentatively as he sees that she read his message, still no reply though. He was starting to rethink his choice of words of just “hey” when he looked up from his phone again to lock eyes with this stranger. His cheeks flushed as he finally decided to speak up.

“Can I help you?” Alex sighed, catching the mysterious man’s gaze for the third time that night. Third times the charm, right? Charm to piss him off. The other man fumbled quickly to apologize, mumbling a quiet apology as he moved closer.

“Didn’t mean to frighten you,” he spoke up, “just seem a bit lonely is all, mate, mind if I join you?” Alex nodded to the stool next to him. The man sat down his beer before taking the stool and clearing his throat. “I’m Miles." 

"Alex, what’s got ya so invested in watching me?” Alex chuckled, taking another swig to finish off number four.

“Well ya only been here an hour and you’re already through your fourth drink,” Miles said. “Didn’t mean to seem like a buzzard watching ya drown yourself, just seems a bit odd is all, you look like you shouldn’t be alone.” Alex waved him off, trying to call the bartender for another drink.

“Just trying to forget I guess,” he said, shrugging him off. “Been lonely lately, depressed, messaged an old bird of mine. Can’t even write nothing ‘bout it, my guitar’s been collecting dust the last few weeks.”

“You’re a musician? I am too! I swore I recognized you, you’re Alex Turner, aren’t you?” he beamed at Alex, hopping up from his seat, “Well consider yourself lonely no longer sir, I’d say you’ve had enough to drink for now, fancy a cigarette?” Alex cocked him a smile and nodded, following him to the back alley, his vision constantly shifting as he stifled to walk straight. Once the door was closed, Miles popped one in his mouth and handed another to Alex, flicking out his lighter and lighting them both. Alex leaned against the cool bricks to steady himself, trying not to look as drunk as he was. The embers crackled with anticipation as Alex took a drag, then let it seep from his lungs as he exhaled. 

“Thanks for the cig,” he sighed, taking another quick puff. “Well since you obviously know so much about me, tell me about you, Mr…?”

“Kane, wouldn’t say there’s much to tell,” Miles said, stepping closer. They were maybe a foot apart, a little claustrophobic for Alex normally, but he didn’t mind, as there was something about him that drew him closer. “I play some guitar meself’, alright I guess, used to be in a band but it never went anywhere.” Alex nodded along silently, stretching and yawning slightly as his drunk stupor was tiring. “Hate to bore you with the details, but you say you’re in a bit of a rut?”

“Guess so, since the last tour ended months ago and I lost my girl, I just haven’t had the inspiration to write nothing,” He said, free hand going to scratch his neck through his long, curly hair. “It’s like I got an idear, but if I start to try to do somethin’ with it, it vanishes. Guess nothing ever wants to stay.” He slumped up against the wall, taking a long, slow drag. He didn’t like feeling this way, he felt helpless. And he didn’t want to reach out to the band for help, they’ve all got their own lives to deal with, and he’s supposed to be the strong one anyways. He laughed at the pitiful thought. “You know, I’m supposed to be the tough one of my friends.”

“I’d say you are, ” Miles said, taking a quick puff, “pretty tough to be dealing with this on your own, but you’re a good performer Al, a good musician. And even the greats need a break.”

Alex snorted, _Take a break, what a load of bollocks._ He was Alex Turner, he didn’t need a fucking break, he just needed to be left alone to figure his shit out. He finished the last bit of his cigarette, stumbling a bit as he stepped the bud dim but still catching himself. “What makes you think you know what’s best for me?”

“You’ve been struggling, Al, maybe you need to make a change in life.”

He snorted again, stretching and losing his balance. He tried to catch himself on a wall as he somehow fell into someone’s arms. He glanced up to see Miles, having moved impeccably fast to catch him. His cheeks flushed with red as a sudden warmth hit him as he gazed into his eyes. Their soft hazel yellow had begun to shine brighter, he thought.

“Guess you could…say I’m…” Alex fumbled for words, entranced as Miles moved in closer, _was he moving closer?_ "In a…rut…“ Miles’ thumb brushed his cheek, it was ice cold against Alex’s flaming flesh. His head bent lower to Alex’s neck, fingers moving to brush the skin and sending chills down his spine. Alex was frozen, lost in thought. "M-Miles..?”

“Shhh,” Miles hushed him against his neck, planting a gentle kiss against his neck and soothing him. When his lips connected to his skin, Alex felt fireworks ignite in him. _What is this sensation? _“It’ll be over quick, love.” A searing, sharp pain broke Alex’s skin, as though he was being bitten. All of the warmth drained from his body from the wound in his neck, and a suckling, gulping noise pounded in his eardrums. Awakened from his paralysis, Alex began to struggle, grabbing at Miles’ hair in a frantic attempt to move him, to no avail. What felt like minutes later, Miles released him, Alex becoming limp in his arms, fragile. Miles began to whisper to him, and Alex hung onto every word. “Maybe a permanent change in your life would help?” He raised his own arm, now visible fangs already dripping with dark crimson digging into his own flesh enough for a small bit of his own blood to drip. The blood dripped down his shimmering fangs, entrancing eyes connected with Alex and read his every thought, his entire life story, and his begging internal emotions to let him live. “You want to live, you want inspiration?”__

____

____

“Yes…” Alex choked out, lungs begging for air. Miles lifted his wrist to Alex’s mouth, letting the blood drip from his wound to Alex’s cracking lips, ambrosia sweeter than he’s ever tasted. His hands grasped tight onto his wrist, holding him close in a tightening embrace as he sucked this sweet ambrosia straight from the source. Alex’s vision soon began to darken, everything was getting blurry, the lights were so bright.

____


	2. First Impression of the Century

_What's that pounding feeling in my skull?_

_Why can't I move?_

_Why is everything black?_

_Am I dead?_

Alex's eyes flew open immediately and he sat up with a jolt. He was shivering, shaking, like he was in a freezer and frozen to his core. It took a minute for him to realize where he was and that he was surrounded by people, who all looked at him utterly horrified. Confused and shaking, he assessed that he was in the alley outside of the bar where he'd gone for a smoke...hadn't he been with someone? He was grasping for straws that weren't there in his mind, his ears were ringing before the voices of the people surrounding him finally broke through his skull.

"Sir? Sir can you hear me?"

"I think he's in shock, someone call 999!"

"He's bleeding, his neck's got a gash! Quick, someone staunch the blood! He could bleed out!"

"That wound looks awful, he's so pale, how's he not dead?"

Alex felt something press against his neck roughly, was he in shock?

"Alex?"

He jerked his head in the direction he heard his name, he recognized that voice.

"Alexa?" He barely whispered

She was kneeling down next to him, pressing her now blood soaked jacket to his neck.

"Alex dear can you hear me? What happened?" she said calmly before turning to one of the other patrons who was now on her phone with an operative. "I'll stay with him, make some room, and someone go wait for the ambulance." She managed to clear most of the alleyway, leaving them almost completely alone. She brushed his hair away from the wound, eyeing him with worry. "Alex do you remember what happened?"

In a daze, he attempted to surmise the incident, "I was...drinking, and then...I met some bloke...he offered me a smoke and we came out here...and then..."

The sounds of sirens rippled through his eardrums, and his hand reached up to rub his temple. It was as though the sounds were amplified, shaking everything in his bones. All of his senses seemed more on their toes the more he realized, he could smell everything, from the alcohol to Alexa's perfume, and the blood that stained his clothes that very strongly permeated his senses. He could sense the vibrations of people running towards them, feet thudding the ground.

"Alex do you remember his name?" Alexa urged, paramedics quickly making their way over. Everything felt fuzzy, and it was getting hard to keep his eyes open as his memories finally grasped onto a name. As everything faded to black, everything started coming back to him. The cigarettes, tripping and falling into his arms, those bright eyes...and those glimmering fangs. As he said it, it was more to himself, he didn't even believe Alexa heard him as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"M...Miles?"

\---

"Al? You alrigh'?" a voice ripped through his vacant mind. His eyes flew open as he sat up with a jolt, wheezing at the pain in his neck, his hand immediately moving to feel what it was. A thick bandage was wrapped around his neck, almost to the point of constricting his breathing. He was in a hospital he assumed, as the last thing he remembers before blacking out again was looking into Alexa's eyes and trying to remember what happened before the paramedics arrived. He quickly surveyed the dark room as he remembered hearing a voice, when he finally realized there was someone at the edge of his bed. They stared at him with luminescent yellow eyes, moving closer into his line of vision right next to his bedside. His eyes widened as he recognized him.

"M-Miles?" he stammered out, almost frightened by his own words. Instead of responding, Miles moved in closer, his hand caressing his bandaged neck.

"Startin' to wish i hadn't left ya there, but I didn't know 'ow to get you out without lookin' inconspicuous," he chuckled as he blatantly ripped the bandage off to Alex's shock.

"Hey stop--!"

"You don't need it, Al, it's already healed."

He quickly felt his neck, and felt no pain or any remnant of a wound. He looked around quickly and found his phone by his bedside, and checked his reflection for assurance of his assumption. Sure enough, he was right.

"But how--"

"Don't worry about that now," Miles said quickly. They both heard footsteps echoing the hallway near his room. He wrapped the bandage around his neck again, fixing the medical tape as he talked. "But some weird shit is gonna start happening to ya, and I want ya to call me when it does." He handed him a slip of paper with his number on it, grasping it tightly confused, he looked back up at him and he was gone as soon as the door flew open and the lights flickered on, it's as if he'd vanished into thin air. 

Alex winced at the brightness as his eyes quickly tried to adjust to the light to little avail. He heard footsteps as a figure quickly walked over to him.

"Alex are you okay? How long have you been up for?" Alexa asked, concerned as she brushed his hair from his face. His eyes finally adjusted as he gazed into her eyes, smiling softy at her, having missed this gentle contact. He held her hand as she lightly brushed his face.

"I'm alright, love, just drank a little too much and hurt myself or somethin', I'll be okay," he said, lightly caressing her hand.

"But it was more than that, you were bleeding so much and you kept blacking out, we found you--"

"Miss Chung, I hate to interrupt but I need to speak with my patient," the doctor said, trying to intervene before the conversation progressed much further. He told Alex that they were going to release him in the afternoon, it was apparently early in the morning, not to Alex's surprise, and that he'd suffered a mild neck wound that they assume was caused by broken glass from some sort of accident. This became very confusing as he was sure he'd told them that he'd been with someone, surely they would assume he was attacked?

__

_Wasn't I?  
_ \---

By midday, Alex had been discharged, still wearing the bulky bandaging around his neck. Alexa had called them a cab as she said she wanted to make sure he got home safe. As they walked out of the hospital, the bright light began to pierce Alex's eyes, but not just that it was bright. It was more so in the sense that it was...burning. He shielded his eyes with his hand, trying to ignore the prickling sensation that now spread to the rest of his exposed skin. They quickly made their way to the cab, Alex practically jumping in to escape the sun.

"Alex, are you alright?" Alexa asked, confused. 

"Just a bit bright out today, do ya maybe 'ave any sunglasses?" He asked, eyes still squinting. She rummaged her purse and pulled out a gaudy pair of sunglasses, but they'd do. They helped some as they drove through the downtown area of London, but he made sure to keep more to the shadows as any time his skin made contact with the light, it was as though his skin started to burn. It was like a fresh sunburn. They finally made it to his apartment after some struggle in traffic, and he paid the cab fair quickly and ran towards the apartment, Alexa at his heels. Once inside, he collapsed against the door.

"Alex what the hell was going on? Are you okay?" Alexa asked, puzzled.

"Yes I'm alrigh', just eager to get home tis all," he lied absentmindedly. "But thank you for makin' sure I got home safe."

"Are you sure you're okay? You're pale as a ghost!" she exclaimed. He sighed, standing closer to her.

"I'm fine love, but thank you for taking care of me last night," he said, smiling slightly. "I haven't a clue what happened but thank you for making sure I was okay, but what were ya doing there?"

She shrugged, hand on the door knob, "Went drinking with some friends, heard a commotion in the alley and saw it was you." Her gaze drops to the floor. "I got your message."

"Um...yeah," he murmured, fingers running through his curls. "I was just drunk and lonely, and I saw on your Instagram that you were in town--"

"You have Instagram?" she snorted, laughing at the thought of Alex using social media.

"It was the Monkeys' account," he chuckled. His gaze also dropped to the ground, bashful at the idea of drunk texting his ex. "Like I said I guess I was just...lonely."

"Wonder what would've happened if I'd responded," she giggled. They laughed awkwardly before finally making eye contact again. As their gaze met, he realized just how much he'd missed her, or was it just that feeling of loneliness again? They knew they weren't right for each other, but it didn't stop them from drawing closer, their lips meeting as they held each other. Lust overtook rational thought as they kissed, but another thought crept into the back of Alex's mind. He held her, kissing down her slender neck, teeth lightly grazing her soft skin. There was a sort of hunger he felt, maybe it was lust since it'd been a bit since he'd had a good shag? Or maybe just that he hadn't eaten all day? But something in the pit of his stomach was urging him to dig his teeth into her flesh, and before he realized what he was doing, he was. Her skin was like butter against his teeth as he sunk into her flesh, he tasted blood.

"Alex stop that hurts!" She cried out, breaking him from his trance. She quickly pulled away from him. "Fucking animal, are you trying to rip my throat out?" 

"I-I'm sorry, I guess I didn't realize I'd bit you so hard--"

Her hand moved to touch her wound, her fingers dribbling with a little red, he hadn't bitten too deep but it was enough to draw some blood. She looked at him stunned and angry. 

"I-I should go," she stammered, moving to open the door.

"Alexa wait I'm sorry--" He started to follow her out into the light, but his skin suddenly was burning again as soon as the rays touched his skin, so he just let her go. He sulked back inside, collapsing on the couch, both tired and angry with himself.

What had come over him? Her blood had tasted so sweet...and it made the pit in his stomach crave more. He remembered his conversation with Miles, and pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket, staring at the digits. What had he meant by weird shit? What was happening to him?


	3. Perhaps Vampire is a Bit Strong But...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I've gotten nothing but positive feedback and I love you all to the moon and back and have decided to continue the story! Expect possibly weekly updates or an update every few days, hopefully updates never exceed a week! I've got all the time in the world during quarantine and I'm trying to use it creatively. Also! Expect a one shot coming soon from a collab of myself and my good friend @yvette_cigarette !  
> Hope you enjoy the new chapter lovelies. <3

Life was becoming more and more unbearable for Alex every day. His sleep schedule was becoming exceeding worse, to where he stayed up well into the morning and sleep almost all day, and he felt as though he was in constant pain.

His whole body ached constantly, moaning and groaning with consistent sharp chest pains. He'd had no inclination to leave the house for well over a week. _Has it been nearly two weeks?_ he thought, trying to recollect everything that had happened. He had yet to contact Miles, the mysterious man who had appeared not long before this all happened. He was struggling again to remember what had happened when they met, they shared a smoke in the alley, had a pleasant conversation, and then...he'd attacked him?

Alex was standing in his bathroom again, gazing at his reflection. He'd barely eaten in the nearly two weeks of solitude, and it was really showing, he was so thin that his cheeks were starting to hollow. But his body refused to hold anything down other than alcohol, which he'd used as a vice more than a few times, any time he tried eating even a morsel of food, his body instantly regurgitated it. But yet, he was absolutely fucking starving, and nothing curbed his appetite.

He stared at his reflection, feeling helpless, tortured, and doomed. His thinning fingers grazed his hollowing cheeks, his tongue running alone his chapped lips before coming to a dramatic halt when it cut on something sharp, tasting the irony blood. A brief wave of fear swept over him as he leaned in closer to scan his mouth for the culprit, his already pale complexion turning sheet white. His canines were blade sharp, and longer, causing him to prick his finger that he quickly pulled away.

He backed against the wall behind him in shock and disbelief, eyeing his finger and watching the cut instantaneously heal. The answer to his problem smacked him square in the face, but it seemed absolutely mental. The dots finally connected as the memories of that night in the alley filled his mind, tripping in his drunken state and falling into the man's arms, and the way he'd pulled him into a trance and hypnotized him with those bright yellow eyes as he'd dug his fangs into his neck and fed on him.

"He was a vampire," Alex whispered to himself, trying to shake his disbelief. "And he..." The blood that he'd cut from his own wrist, the sweet nectar that gave him this new, torturous life. "...he made me one."

Alex jolted out of his thoughts and began rummaging through his room for the slip of paper and his phone, practically hysterical at this point. He was angry, he was frightened, he was...excited?

Finally unearthing it from under a book on his coffee table, he immediately dialed the number, his hands trembling from adrenaline. It rang only twice before he answered.

"'Twas wonderin' when ya'd finally call," Miles drawled with a small chuckle. 

Alex, still shaking with adrenaline managed to choke out a response, "You motherfucking, blood sucking leech! What the hell 'ave you done to me and 'ow the fuck can ya sound so nonchalant about this?"

Miles sighed on the other end, "This is why ya shoulda contacted me sooner mate, I'll be right over."

Miles hung up, only further infuriating Alex, prompting him to throw his phone across the room and shatter the screen. But within seconds, there was a rapid knocking on his door. He moved faster than light itself to throw it open, dragging a shaken Miles inside and slamming him against the now shut door.

"I ought ta tear ya a new one right now for what the hell you've done to me!" his knuckles were turning whiter from grasping Miles' shirt so hard, the shear force at which he held him to the door shocking even Alex.

"If ya'd calm the fuck down I'll explain everything," Miles spat, becoming increasingly annoyed with his antics.

"The only thing ya'll need to explain is how meh foot got so far stuck up your arse to the doctors!" Alex screamed, readying to throw a punch. As it was set in motion, Miles caught it and swiftly forced him off, pushing him to the ground. Putting his boot forcefully against Alex's chest, he hissed at the smaller man, bearing his fangs as a stating of dominance, his eyes glowing bright yellow with fury. Alex, now frightened, gripped the carpet tightly, eyes wide at the sight of the man overpowering him.

Miles' face relaxed some to a calmer demeanor, speaking softly yet forcefully again, "Now, are we gonna talk calmly like fuckin' adults or fight like animals?"

Alex swallowed hard, trying to relax a bit even though his heart was banging against his chest, both in fear and...attraction? Maybe it was just the way the man overpowered him, or maybe the hypnosis of his eyes, but Alex felt entranced by him once again. He nodded slowly, surrendering. Miles moved his boot, giving Alex a hand. He took it and quietly gestured to the living room, settling on the couch, the air still thick with tension, Alex unsure of what kind.

"Ya know ya look like shit?" Miles said, concerned. "Have ya eaten anything since I saw ya?

Alex shook his head, "Nothin' I eat will stay down, I've just been drinking every now and then cause tha's the only thing that will." Miles was stifling laughter and struggling to hide it, and Alex threw him an annoyed look. "The fuck is so funny?"

"You can't eat human food silly!" Miles giggled. "Are ya telling me you 'aven't gotten any temptation for blood in the nearly two weeks since I saw ya? Tha's shockin', especially for a fresh blood."

"You mean all I can have from now on is booze an' blood?" Alex cried out, taken aback. "Tha's disgustin'! An' wrong!"

"It's how ya gotta live, Al," Miles sighed, "if ya can even call it livin' 'nymore."

"Then was the bloody point?" Alex said, exasperated, standing and throwing up his hands in defeat. "An' why'd ya 'ave ta pick me of everyone?"

"Because I see potential in ya Al!" Miles exclaimed, standing next to him. He laid his hands on his shoulders, staring at him. "You're a bloody terrific musician, an' if anyone deserves to live forever and continue to give the world wonderful music, it's you! And ya still have yet ta realize you're full potential! Imagine what ya could do with an eternity, and what kinda inspiration this could give ya!" Miles smiled softly, dropping his hands to his side. "This is really a double edged sword ya know, think ya might enjoy the perks more than ya hate the cons."

Alex slumped back onto the couch, puffing out a breath and running his fingers through his hair. He could barely believe this was really happening to him, what was he gonna tell his mates? His parents? The fans? He couldn't even go out in the bloody sun or he'd burn to a crisp for Christ's sake!

"I need a smoke," he sighed, grabbing his pack and walking out the door, Miles tailing behind him.

"Come on Al," Miles groaned as they stepped out into the cool night air. "Ya need ta get outta this place for a bit."

Alex lights the cigarette, taking a puff and sighing, eyeing Miles with a blank expression. "I'm out smokin' aren't I?"

"Al, you need to feed, I mean...look at ya!"

Alex freezes at the thought, remembering what he'd done to Alexa. What had just started as lustful snogging quickly became...tasting her sweet blood on his lips. His lips were salivating at this point, and something in the pit of his stomach was screaming and writhing, like a starving beast that gnawed at his insides.

_Feed._

Miles took his hand, looking into his eyes.

"Lemme teach ya."

\---

They walked the rugged streets of London, lit by bars and the moonlight in search of Alex's first victim. Alex was quickly tired by only a block, weak from lack of feeding the previous nights. Miles clung to him, steadying him when he became too tired.

"Mate, how ar' ya gonna attracted anyone in this state?" Miles laughed nervously as they sat on a bench in front of a bar. Alex shrugged weakly, still feeling like absolute shit. Miles sighed, pulling out a flask and handing it to him. "Here, drink some of this." Alex eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds, but soon snatched the flask and took a swig. An immediate warmth overcame him from the small gulp, and he soon downed another two before having it snatched away again. He suddenly felt much more full of energy, alight and himself.

"The hell did you give me?"

"Some...blood I'd 'ad saved for emergencies," Miles shrugged, standing.

"You mean you had some this whole time and ye didn' bother sharin'?" Alex exclaimed angrily with a new burst of energy.

"I thought ye at least had the energy ta walk the damn street! Apparently not," Miles said, defending himself.

"Well I'm all fine now so there's no point in feeding tonight I guess," Alex shrugged and began to walk away. Miles quickly swept after him, grabbing his shoulder and forcibly turning him to face him.

"Don't even think about it!" he said. "Within an hour, you'll be back to where ya just were if you don't feed from _the source_. I keep that for _emergencies_ as in when I 'aven't been able ta feed for particular reasons and just need a quick fix ta keep ma body from eatin itself like what was 'appening ta you!" Alex gulped at the idea, he didn't wanna take anyone's life, he didn't wanna hurt anyone, especially someone innocent he meets in a bar!

"Ya don't have ta kill em ya know," Miles whispered, reading his thoughts, "Ya can take some as long as ya stop before their 'eart does, an' wipe their memory afta'." Alex closed his eyes, breathing out a small sigh.

He let Miles lead him to another night club downtown, booming with business and sweaty bodies slamming against each other in an attempt to drunkenly dance. They made their way to the bar, settling down near the far end at the back of the club, ordering a few shots.

"Ya know, this ain't all bad, 'least ya can still drink," Miles chuckled to him, yelling over the loud music. He watched him scan the crowds, Alex wasn't sure who he was looking for, as if he was trying to pick someone out in a crowd with seizure inducing strobe lights. His finger landed on a girl who was obviously already very drunk, but dancing alone and making her way to the bar.

"That one," Miles said, smiling at her.

"What do I do then?" Alex asked, scratching his neck nervously at the whole situation.

"Talk to her, share a few drinks, take her out back, alone, somewhere..." Miles voice suddenly got very low, yet very animalistic. _"And let your instincts take over. Good luck."_ He slipped into the crowd, leaving Alex alone, his soon to be victim in close proximity. He turned to eye her, long blonde hair, tight fitting black dress, a knockout. She met his gaze, and immediately blushed, entranced by his eyes much like he had been entranced by Miles. She was soon walking over to him, taking his unfinished shot and downing it immediately, slamming the glass down and smiling.

"Interesting way ya have of sayin' hello," Alex chuckled, lightly flirting.

"Well it's never good ta leave a shot hanging," she grinned, sitting next to him and leaning close to whisper, "I'm Melanie."

"I'm Al," he grinned back, turning his body to fully face her. "And what's a pretty thing like you doin' all alone?" she shrugged as the bar tender brought her another drink, margarita from the look of it.

"Felt like clubbing, no one wanted to go with me, so I went anyways," she said, sipping her drink. "What bout you, Al?" she drawled out all two letters of his name, obviously wanting more than just small talk.

\---

Within minutes, they were outside the club in the seedy alleyway, snogging and groping wildly. Alex was never a fan of something like this normally, but he didn't mind all too much as long as he got what he needed. He pressed her against the brick wall of the club, trailing kisses down her neck. Her mind was absent, thoughts only resting on the man in her arms, unaware of her fate. 

His tongue licked down her throat as he breathed a small sigh. Time seemed to freeze as he reminisced what he'd done to Alexa, remembering the sweet softness of her neck, like butter against his fangs, and the ambrosia that was her blood. Before he realized it, his teeth sank into Melanie's pale neck, painting her skin a dark crimson with blood that gushed into his mouth. He gulped hungrily, feeling his strength fully return to him and his hunger fade. She had barely made a sound, possibly due to shock. When he'd taken his fill, he pulled away, blood still dripping down his chin. She staggered a breath, gasping slightly as she gazed into his eyes, her memories of the evening fading and her eyes sliding closed as she sank to the ground.

Finally snapping out of his beastly state, Alex surveyed the situation, eyes widening and stepping away as he saw her body lying before him.

_What have I done?_


	4. Innocence and Arrogance Entwined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I am sooooo sorry it's taken nearly two weeks to get the next chapter out. I've had some bad writer's block lately but I think now that I've got most of the plot ironed out, I should be writing more! I also got a job recently, so if that slows updates at all I sincerely apologize, but promise to pump out new chapters as soon as I can! I really hope you guys like reading this as much as I loved writing it. Cheers! :)

Alex wiped the blood from his chin as he stared down at Melanie's body in disbelief of what he'd just done. And of how strong he suddenly felt.

The girl's blood pulsated through his veins, amplifying his senses, unlocking the powers within him as he'd now had his first real _meal_. What he found worse was how little remorse he felt, as if she was just another midnight snack. He licked the remaining blood from his fingers, essentially cleaning his plate.

"'Ow was it then?" called a voice from behind him. He turned in fear that he'd been caught by a passerby, but saw only Miles, smiling at him as he walked over, ruffling his brown curls like he was a child that'd just learned to ride a bike on their own.

"It was..." Alex stuttered for words to come even close to measuring his experience, "...thrillin'."

"See Al! Isn't all that bad," Miles said, giving the lad a smile before turning to face the girl's body. "An' she is still alive, 'ave ya wiped her mem'ry?" Alex shook his head, not really sure how to.

"'Ere, I'll show ya." Miles walked over to her body, crouching down to her eye level. Caressing her face in his hand, he waved his hand in front of her forehead lightly and whispered something inaudible before clamping his hand on her neck, pressing with great force. When he removed it, there was no trace of the marks Alex had left. He stood again and turned to the boy with a smile. "There! All fixed."

Alex walked over to her in shock, looking closer for himself. She looked as though she'd only passed out drunkenly in the alley.

"'Ow...ow did yeh do that?" Alex managed to utter. Miles smiled, a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll teach ya."

\---

As they walked the late night streets of London, Alex unsure of their destination, his mind raced at the possibilities that his life now held. Everything had hit him like a brick after his first real taste of blood, the power he felt coursing within him, it was immeasurable. He could smell every scent London had to offer, from the beer and wet scent of the streets strewn with cigarette carcasses, to the fields that were miles off in the outskirts of town. He could hear every sound that he focused in on, barely inaudible whispers of passerby and the loud scuffle of alley cats as they scrounged for a meal. And his eyes could see every little pebble at their feet, every letter on every sign as though it was bright as a summer day. He'd never felt so alive yet...invisible to the unknowing world around him.

"We're 'ere," Miles finally called out, breaking him from his thoughts. They'd come to stop in front of a very old looking house, wood splintering in some places, rustic and looming over them in an overtly creepy way. Alex eyed the building suspiciously, noticing all of the windows were covered over with newspaper, boards, and black paint as Miles swiftly made his way up the steps, unlocking the door.

"Where...are we?"

"Is me house!" He pushed the door open with a rough shove, calling back out to Alex. "Well get yer arse in here less yeh wanna become a crisp when the sun's up in an hour!"

At the memory of how the sun had reacted to his skin within the first day of this new life, he quickly dropped all doubts about the decrepit house and made his way inside. The door shuttered as he slammed it closed behind him, his eyes struggling to adjust to the now brightly lit room.

"Welcome ta me 'umble aboad!"

Miles rested on a rather large, hole riddled couch to the right of the entrance, already lit cigarette in hand and beckoning Alex over.

"Well thanks mate, but why am I 'ere? I could jus' as easily go back to me own place for the day, don't need no babysitter," Alex said as he settled onto the couch a few feet away from Miles. Miles stifled some laughter, shaking his head as if in response to an ignorant child.

"Yeh say tha', but if I 'adn't found yeh at dusk, yeh woulda been a dried up, bloodthirsty raisin too weak ta even feed yeh'self," He took a long drag off his cigarette before continuing his lecture. "Listen Al, you're a fresh blood who's only jus' 'ad 'is first real meal, and yer so fookin' stubborn tha' if I 'adn't pulled yer arse outta that cave you call a home, yeh woulda sucked dry the first person tha' came to yer door. You woulda killed yer own fookin' mother ta satisfy yer hunger! You act like yeh know what yer doin' now tha' yeh fed an' yer ridin' high, but yeh 'aven't even _begun_ ta scratch the surface of what this life 'olds, 'ow ta keep hidden and 'ow not ta get caught." He took another quick drag off his cigarette, holding up his finger when Alex tried to speak in protest. "If yeh want ta get staked or burnt to a crisp, go ahead and leave, 'm not forcin' yeh ta stay. But if yeh wanna learn the _proper_ tricks to the trade an' not get killed in yer first real week a this, stay 'ere an' let me show yeh 'ow it's done."

Alex was utterly stunned, and felt like a small child being told by an adult that they knew what was best for him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but was still unsure of what to say. He still had so many questions, and what did he mean that he had everything here? What if the mood struck him like Miles said inspiration would from this new life and he decided he wanted to start writing again?

"I've got a studio upstairs yeh know, whole setup for yeh to borrow an' work in."

Alex turned and gazed at him very swiftly, surprised, "Yeh mean like...a music studio?"

Miles nodded, stubbing out his cigarette on the worn couch. "Told yeh I was a musician the nigh' we met, didn' I?"

"Well yeah but I thought yeh meant like as a 'obby not like professional--also did you just read me mind--?"

"Gift a mine tha' came with this curse, you'll 'ave one too," Miles shrugged. "One a the things 'm 'ere ta 'elp yeh figure out. I told yeh tha' I 'ave everything yeh need 'ere, jus' trust me, Al. Come work 'ere on yer music wif me an' I'll 'elp yeh get ahold on this thing."

"I don' need 'elp wif me music," Alex responded dryly. "I work alone."

Miles just rolled his eyes, "Yer such a drama queen." He made his way to the rickety stairs, turning back as if expecting Alex to follow. "Well come on then!"

\---

Alex was in awe from the minute he stepped into the studio, countless guitars, basses, a few drum kits, even a saxophone and piano and all sorts of other stringed instruments. The entire setup looked like that of a normal recording studio, with high tech equipment and a million different buttons with a few computers and a shit load of microphones, cables, headsets and the like. Miles plopped into one of his rolling chairs near his computers, smiling proudly at his setup.

"This...is yer studio? Are yeh famous or summat to be able ta ''fford all this?"

"Well...yeah actually," Miles chuckled, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. "I record 'ere an' put me music online, kinda blew up a bit maybe six years ago? I been goin' under a pseudonym eva' since, neva' play live cause um..." He sighed, dropping his gaze to his hands, obviously sad about the idea that his fans would never really know the man behind the music. "The shit yeh gotta give up is mostly worth the life yeh get bein' wot we is, but if I could play live an' go out an' actually be known for me music...I'd give it all up ta be the rock-star I always wanted ta be."

"Were yeh jealous of me or summat?"

Miles gazed back up at Alex, biting his lips slightly, "A lil bit, I guess."

Alex leaned against the door frame, nodding. He couldn't imagine the way it pained Miles to not be able to share his talent on stage for thousands to enjoy, especially since only just a few months ago he'd been doing just that. Looking for a change of topic, he realized he hadn't been told what his pseudonym was, maybe he'd heard his music before?

"What's yer name? The one yeh go by? Maybe I've 'eard yeh before?"

Miles smiled again, relieved by the change of topic, "It's um...I'm The Last Shadow Puppet."

Alex's eyes immediately grew wide as he recognized the name of one of his favorite underground artists. "YOU'RE TLSP??"

Miles immediately became bashful, if he could blush he would be crimson, "I uh...can see you're familiar wif me work."

"You're fookin right I am! Me mates an' I always wondered who yeh were!" Alex's smile faltered some. "When yeh said in yer recordin's that yeh wouldn' perform live, I neva' woulda thought tha' meant you...couldn'."

Miles shook his head, picking up a guitar next to him, absentmindedly strumming. "I don' like thinkin' bout it too much, 'urts less an' 'elps me enjoy me work more I guess."

Alex nodded, eyeing a sleek, bright red Gibson only a few feet away. Miles continued to pick away at the strings of the older acoustic in his hands, seemingly drawn in by the melody Alex recognized as one of his favorite songs. He heard something in the back of his head, a thought that wasn't his own.

_You can play along if you want, this is one of your favorites?_

He smiled as he caught Miles' gaze for a minute and nodded in response.

 _This mind reading thing is gonna take some getting used to,_ Alex thought, knowing Miles was listening, as he picked up the Gibson. He found an input and amp right next to it. He took to a stool nearby, turning up the volume and starting to play along with the simple solo from hearing the song so many times.

_Can you sing it?_

_You bloody know I can._

Miles smirked, and nodded to cue him in.

They played together until sunlight started streaming into the few cracks in the walls that allowed it, spots that Miles had yet to fix but were no harm to them at the moment. They barely spoke an audible word throughout their jam session, but passing some small thoughts, only song titles and cues as the chemistry of their musical abilities was almost like a match made in heaven. Their conversations were notes and lyrics of songs that sounded like memories they each shared, getting to know each other through metaphors of lyricism, whether their own or someone else's. Alex had heard and fallen in love with Miles' voice as an anonymous face online many years ago, and was coming to further understand him as a person, if only a little now, and was bemused that he was now playing some of his own songs next to him. As they soon noticed the sun's rays pushing through, they finally called it a night, setting down the instruments and returning to normal conversation.

Alex bit his lip and gave Miles a small smile. "Maybe yeh were right bout the doubled edged sword thing."

"It has it's perks yeh know." Miles led him out of the room and down the hallway to an empty guestroom, crowded only with clutter of boxes filled with unpacked and assumingly unimportant belongings. Records, CDs, cassette tapes, and even eight tracks strewn out in opened boxes next to a bed with a bundle of blankets plopped on top. "This um is the only guest room I've got, sorry is a bit cluttered, but we can clean it an' go get yer stuff tomorrow night since ye'll probably be stayin' a bit."

Alex nodded as his eyes traced the room, fascinated by the band posters and banners that also clung to the wall for dear life, swaying silently as if they'd fall at any moment. He rather liked it, walking in and settling on the bed and starting to loosen the knot of fabric that was the blankets.

"This'll do, I'll make it me own tomorrow," he said as he ripped at the blankets. "Did this used ta be someone else's? Whoever they were, they 'ad good taste in music at least."

Miles chuckled, but Alex caught the glimpse of sadness in his eyes before he quickly turned away.

"I'll tell yeh later, 'm down the hall if yeh need anythin'." His hand graced the doorknob as he went to close it.

"Um...Miles?"

He stopped, waiting for a response.

"Erm...thanks for savin' me arse tonight."

He chuckled again, shaking his head and rolling his eyes, "Thankin' me, _tha's_ a new one."

And with that, he pulled the door closed, the hinges creaking with age and the wall shuttering as he pulled the door tight into it's place. Alex fell back onto the bed, kicking off his shoes and jeans, staring up at the ceiling at the picture of Bowie staring back at him, his trademark Ziggy Stardust look the last thing he sees as his eyes become too heavy to keep open.


	5. There Ain't No Ejector Seat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This thing finally has a plot I'm trying to stick to!! Yay! Now that I've officially mapped things out, I hope to continue being able to pump out at least one chapter a week. Hopefully I can soon do the same for My Mistakes Were Made for You but we'll see as this story is my primary focus. Cheers <3

Alex's eyes flew open from his slumber, quickly realizing there was nothing underneath him. He soon felt himself falling, his brain trying to register what had happened once he thudded rather loudly onto the squeaking springs of the mattress.

_Was I just...levitating in my sleep?_

"Miles!" Alex called, freaked out by his bizarre new power. "Is it normal to wake up _fallin'_?"

He heard shuffling feet thudding up the stairs, the door soon creaking open to reveal a worried Miles.

"Wot? I 'eard me name."

"Miles I think I was floatin' in me sleep!"

Miles cracked a smile, letting out a small chuckle, "'Tis normal, Al! Since yeh fed for the first time last night, yer body is gonna start manifestin' new powers pretty quick."

"Well 'ow do I fookin' control levitatin' in me sleep?"

"Well 'm not sure if yeh really can, since it's like sleep walkin' for humans, but technically sleep flyin-"

"Miles!"

"Okay, okay, I'll least teach yeh 'ow to control it when yer conscious so tha' might 'elp!"

Miles took a step forward with a bit of a jump, but instead of just toward Alex, he also moved upwards into the air. Alex sat on his bed in slight awe as Miles somersaulted as if there was no gravity through the air and toward him before crossing his legs and levitating just above his bed, finally lowering himself onto the blankets.

"Quite a spectacle there, show off."

"Do yeh wanna learn 'ow to control it or not?"

"Yeah..."

Miles stood up again. "All yeh 'ave to do is trust yer body to support yeh and take a step into the air, use yer thoughts to will yer body into becoming light as a feather."

"Wot?"

Miles rolled his eyes, yanking the boy out of bed and into the air with him. Thank god for the decently high ceiling or they would have no room to move as Miles pulled Alex into his arms, holding onto him in mid air. In fear of falling, Alex gripped tightly to Miles' torso, nails digging into his back as he looked down to see the ground three feet bellow him.

"Mi- _Mi-_ don't let me fall-"

"Al _relax_ ," Miles hissed, pulling his face to match his gaze. Their eyes locked, and Alex felt his breath catch in his throat. It felt strange to be in such close proximity, the air thick between them as Alex felt the tension growing. "Light as a feather."

Alex closed his eyes and felt his body relax, repeating the phrase over and over in his head.

_Light as a feather._

He felt Miles loosen his hold of him, eyes still closed, fearing to open them, as his fingers desperately grabbed at the air in front of him for Miles.

"Mi- _Mi-_ don' let go yet 'm not ready-"

"Al, open yer eyes."

One eye squinted shut still, he slowly opened the other, darting it around to see no Miles before him. He opened both to look frantically, finally spotting Miles on the ground below him. He swallowed hard as he realized he was still caught up in the air before letting out a nervous chuckle.

"I-I'm doin' it Miles!" He stepped forward a bit, letting the air hold him as he drifted slowly across the room, laughing like a giddy kid who's just learned to ride a bike. Miles beamed up at him proudly, reaching to take his hand.

"Ready ta get down?"

"'Ow do I do tha-"

"Just will yer body to become slowly 'eavier, like a slowly sinkin' stone in water."

_I'm a sinking stone._

He repeated the phrase in his mind and felt his body move slowly back to the ground, flapping his arms slightly as a way to steady himself as his bare feet reconnected with the ground. He let out a shaky breath as his face soon twisted to a thrilled grin.

"I...I did it Miles!" He threw his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly with excitement before realizing the close for comfort gesture. He let out an awkward cough and unwrapped his arms from the other man."Umm...thanks."

"No problem, mate," Miles said, awkwardly putting his hand on his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. "Shall we um...go get yer stuff then?"

\---

"Christ what did yeh pack in this bag a whole fookin' library?"

"Well yeah actually, I like ta read."

They had managed to move over most of what Alex considered his essentials to the house, a bag of clothes (t-shirts and jeans mostly), a bag of books and notebooks that Miles was currently struggling with, and a few instruments and records Alex simply _"couldn' live wifout."_

"Christ alive, remind me neva' ta help yeh move."

"Don' we 'ave heightened strength Miles?"

"Shove it, Al." Miles threw the bag forcefully at the smaller boy, knocking him into the stack of boxes littered all at the end of the bed. Alex huffed in irritation, until something unexpected toppled out of one of the boxes and into his lap. An all too familiar album cover laid before him, four of his heroes frozen in time walking an all too famous street, the cover frayed some, looking well used.

"Is-Is this an original Abbey Road print?" Alex's eyes were wide as he gave it a look over, slipping the record out of its frayed casing, revealing few, if any, scratches. Miles chuckled at the lad, sliding the record out of his hands and quickly throwing it onto the nearby record player. John Lennon's voice soon echoed throughout the empty house, bringing life to the dark place. Alex watched a grin tug on Miles' lips as he started humming and lightly singing along, entranced by nostalgia.

"Been a fan a theirs since they first started out," he said, sinking onto the bed. "Was maybe...1964 when I first saw em live. Went wif me girl at the time on our first date, we were...fourteen? It were a few years 'fore we got married."

Alex stared at him stunned and in utter disbelief.

"You...saw them live... _in 1964?_ With yer soon ta be _wife?_ "

"Wot did ye think I didn' 'ave a life 'fore I was turned?"

"I dunno I guess i jus'...'adn't thought about it. But what was it like, living through the 60s? The 70s? The 80s? Seeing the Beatles live?"

Miles was chuckling at the boy's sudden interest in his past, staring off in thought as he thinks of what to answer.

"Well um...was interestin' I guess, I traveled the US throughout the 80s an' 90s, enjoyed a lot of the rock and roll of the time. Moved along as a workin' man, job ta job ta get me 'cross the country," he shrugged. "Specific questions would be nicer, then maybe I could give yeh the answers yeh want."

Alex thinks a minute, so many questions he wanted to ask, but finding it so hard to pick just one. Then the mention of Miles' wife crosses his mind, especially since she wasn't here with them now, he was very curious about her, and what could've happened to her.

"Well um...what were yer wife like?"

Miles looked at him as if caught off guard by the question, hands fidgeting nervously as a school boy's grin crossed his face.

"Hannah was...one a the best things ta eva' 'appen to me," his eyes shone bright as he spoke. "She was very excitable, all ova' the place an' tough as all hell." His eyes dart about the room as his smile falters some. "This 'ere was our room actually. This place used to be a rent a room type a place back in the early 70s when we moved in. Place was constantly full a life an' new faces, some were there for days, othas' for years. There were neva' a dull moment, an' the house always 'ad music playin'. Think we moved in afta' the summer a '69, we'd been married since '67 an' livin with me folks til we got kicked out cause they caught us screwin' around high off our arses." He chuckled at the memory. "Me mum was so mad! An' lookin' back I don' blame 'er, like most kids our age back then, we were a bit too into the hippie scene. But she was constantly burstin' with life, enjoyin' the thrill of the ride."

Alex was listening intently as Miles gushed about his past, and he was even a bit jealous of the life he'd lived. Fascinated by the music, the people he met, and the places he'd lived, he started to realize that Miles had never really chosen to have lived this long but had really made the most of his eternal life, so far anyways. The thought crossed his mind that maybe this wasn't so bad of a fate, maybe it really was meant to be for Alex to have met Miles and his fate. But soon he remembered that of course, Hannah was no longer around, and a creeping fear crawled up his spine.

_Did something bad happen to her? Did she just leave, or did Miles turn her and she disappeared?_

_Did someone...kill her?_

"Miles..." Alex started, pausing to get his attention. Miles hummed and looked over at him, pulled out of his nostalgia stupor. The opening guitar solo to "I Want You" suddenly rang through the room, surprising them both as they'd barely paid the record any attention since starting it. Alex swallowed, almost fearful of the answer. "Wot exactly 'appened to Hannah? Yeh both seemed so 'appy togetha, seems like she would still be 'ere with us today."

Alex regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. Miles somehow turned paler than normal, eyes not meeting Alex's gaze. Alex knew he'd crossed a line.

"I um...don' really wanna talk 'bout it, Al. It's a bit too personal."

"'M sorry, Miles, I um...shouldn' 'ave asked," Alex swallowed hard, throat very dry. "I guess I was jus' curious cause y'know it'd seemed like yeh woulda turned 'er too an'-"

Faster than a flash, Miles was instantly in Alex's face, voice shaking with anger and eyes glowing, Alex cowered.

"Yeh think I'd wanna put 'er through this? Yeh think I would've wanted 'er to suffer this immortal fookin' curse with me?"

"I-I'm sorry, I just thought-"

"Yeh shoulda thought more 'fore insinuatin' tha' I'd do somethin' like that ta 'er."

Suddenly over swept with anger himself at Miles words, Alex decided to spit back.

"Then why'd yeh fookin' turn me then? If this thing is such a fookin' curse an' yeh wouldn' put anybody yeh cared about through it?"

Miles had no words, choosing to remain silent before smacking Alex hard across the face.

"Don' _eva'_ speak ta me like tha' again." He finally pulled away from Alex, stomping off. "'M goin' to feed."

"Miles wait I-I'm sorry!"

The door slammed shut and the house shook and shuddered as if it'd collapse. Alex let out a shaky breath, he'd yet to see Miles this angry, especially being the target of it. The room fell silent as the music abruptly stopped, replaced by numb static.

He knew he shouldn't have pressed him like he did about what happened to Hannah, but the ideas of possibilities for her absence swirled through his mind in a nonstop chorus he couldn't ignore.

He finally removed himself from the toppled boxes, legs shaking with adrenaline caused by a mix of fear and slight anger. Miles had chosen to turn him, and not Hannah, who Alex could only presume was the love of his life. Alex remembered Miles claiming it was because of his talents and wanting him to share his music with the world for generations to come, but was that really the only reason? He didn't have a clue, and was frankly too scared at what Miles' reaction might be to ask again.

Then a simple lyric surfaced in his sea of thoughts.

_He's kinda my enemy, whenever I'm onto something good, you see, he always waltzes in to spoil it for me..._

He ran it through his mind a few times before grabbing his backpack of books and scrounging for an empty page of a notebook, quickly jotting the line down before it could slip away. His pencil tapped the paper, tongue tracing his lower lip as lyrical ideas started spilling from his previously lyrically dry mind. He was writing again, giddy at the idea as he wrote until his hands ached.

_And I can see him starting, wanna break my heart then that's the way to do it..._

He was struck with the idea of how this argument with Miles had fueled his creativity, throwing his anger towards himself for asking and irritation with Miles to drive him forward.

_Glass-bottomed ego...is still afloat but can't you see the cracks appearing in the base...?_


	6. The Colourama In Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey it's only been a week! I've been in a mood to write all week, but only just made the effort today haha. And I hope it was worth it! As always, I appreciate you all and always love feedback, so don't be afraid to comment if you have suggestions or there was something in particular that just stuck out to you, good or bad! Or if you want, just say hi haha. Cheers! <3

Over the next few days, Alex slowly made himself at home in Miles' studio. He soon had a favorite chair, the exceptionally comfy recliner near Miles' wall of stringed instruments, from guitars to ukuleles, basses to violins, the instruments seemed to multiply every time Alex entered the room. Not that he left much to begin with, normally only to drink or feed, which he hadn't been doing as much as Miles claimed he should. Miles even had to shove him out of the house once just to get him to feed so he wouldn't go ballistic.

It'd been a few days since Miles had imploded at Alex's prying questions, and though he was still curious on the subject, he was too afraid to ask, keeping his questions to himself for a later date. He'd instead preoccupied his time with writing, as the brief moment between them had sparked his creativity to life again, but the brightest flames burn out the fastest.

For the last few days, he'd fallen back into the old routine of snapping pencils in frustration, with some new habits falling en suit. He'd taken the time in the studio to practice his levitation, using the tips Miles had given him to help further his new talent into not only levitating, himself, but other objects as well. He'd had the faintest idea it might be possible given his already established new power, and tried it out on his notebook the day prior, focusing intently on it as he chanted _light as a feather_ over and over in his mind. Although, the first results yielded his concentration a bit too hard as the notebook had quickly flown across the room only to smack him in the face.

He now sat frustrated in his chair yet again, cigarette in his fingers tapping absentmindedly into the ash tray in slight frustration as he attempted to put pencil to paper. He sighed, his mind momentarily grasping onto the idea of a lyric, only to have it snatched away in an instant, like a dog being withheld a treat. He huffed, crumpling the cigarette and breaking the filter.

"Fucking hell," he sighed, snuffing out the still burning embers into the porcelain ashtray on the arm of his chair. He slumped over his bony knees, fisting his hair in his hands in frustration.

_The ideas are there, I can see them, why can't I fucking put them together?_

He gripped tighter at his roots, his irritation growing, and before he realized it, the ash tray had flung itself across the room, smacking into a banister and shattering into three pieces. He looked up, startled by the piercing noise.

__

_Christ, I need a new ash tray...a less breakable one._

__

He heard footsteps and the door soon swung open, a panting Miles looking at him confused and worried.

__

"The hell is goin' on up 'ere then? Was tha' noise I 'eard?"

__

Alex sighed into a slight smile, glancing over at him.

__

"Sorry, jus' gettin' frustrated writin' is all, guess me mind flung the ash tray wifout realizin'," Alex chuckled as he pointed to the broken remnants of the ash tray. Miles smiled, shaking his head.

__

"You'll get the hang of it eventually, Al."

__

Miles walked into the studio, pulling a stool closer to Alex, glancing down at his notebook.

__

"Yeh know, Al, I could 'elp if yeh like? Yeh don' 'ave ta write alone-"

__

"I work alone"

__

Alex's face had turned slightly stern as he pulled his notebook closer to his chest, he rarely let anyone read his scribbled nonsense of lyrics before he'd managed to scrap them together into a song, not even any of the Monkeys. The smile fell from Miles' face as he pulled back.

__

"Is not a bad thing ta 'ave some 'elp."

Alex's grip tightened on the notebook, looking Miles over like he might make a go for it at any second.

__

"But I don' need any 'elp, 'm workin' it out jus' fine, jus' takin' longer than expected."

__

"Yeh wouldn' be breakin' ash trays if yeh weren't strugglin'."

__

Alex knew Miles meant well, but the idea of him seeing Alex's raw, unfinished nonsense gave him an uneasy feeling.

__

_What if he thinks it's shit? What if he laughs or tells me to scrap it and start over? I feel like I have the bones of something good here-_

__

_Al, you've written some of the greatest songs of this generation. I know it's not shit without even reading it._

__

Alex looked at him confused for a minute, a slight smile prying on Miles lips. He'd forgotten Miles' secret power, damn him and his mind reading!

__

"I jus' wanna 'elp," he said, that prying smile taking more shape.

__

Alex sighed, swallowing his insecurities. He knew that if anyone could help him, it would be one of the musicians he looked up to, especially considering this was The Last Shadow Puppet sitting before him. Alex's hand caressed the notebook, holding it out forcefully to Miles, his hand slightly shaking as his arm extended. Miles took the offer, slender fingers carefully flipping through the pages, only stopping when his eyes landed on a small cluster of lyrics.

__

_"The Colourama in your eyes_

__

_It takes me on a moonlight drive_

__

_It's the way you wing it_

__

_While you're figuring it out..."_

__

Miles echoed the words out loud as he read them to himself, glancing up a few moments later after presumably rereading them a few times in his head.

__

"Al...that's beautiful."

__

Alex bit his lip, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

__

"Yeh really think it could be summat?"

__

Miles nodded before grabbing one of Alex's dozen of abandoned and broken pencils on the floor. He went to work, quickly scribbling something down before Alex realized what he was doing. In the seconds he'd done it, Alex's face fell, his heart dropping in his chest as Miles scratched away in _his_ notebook. He told him he could _help_ , not write it for him. A minute after he realized what Miles was doing, he snatched the notebook away again, curling up into a ball in the chair and pulling as far away from Miles as possible. He held the book possessively, instinctively hissing at Miles.

__

"The hell do yeh think yer bloody doin'? I told yeh you could 'elp, not write the fookin' song for meh!"

__

"Al, I was joost addin' to it, I got a sudden idea-"

__

"Well fookin' don't!"

__

He was bearing his fangs, like a provoked animal feeling threatened. He'd opened up to him in a way he hadn't to anyone else, and Miles felt he had the right to change or add anything to _his_ lyrics. _His_ song.

__

He could see Miles' frustration growing, but he didn't match Alex's eyes or challenge him in return.

__

"Would yeh jus' see wha' I fookin wrote, I think yeh'll like it."

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Alex pulled back, sighing out a shaky breath as the last of the adrenaline coursed through his veins. He was shaking slightly from the rush, so he relaxed, laying back into the cushioned chair, eyes directed to the notebook. He flimsily flipped through the pages, quickly finding the lyrics. Just below his own scribbles, he saw a handwriting that echoed his own. The lines were a little messier to read than his own, considering Miles had quickly jotted them down before having it yanked away. But it was still bright as day how perfectly fitting the lyrics were.

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_"Aviation in the evening_

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_I can feel it coming on_

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_Mama told me you should start as you mean_

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_To go wrong_

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_Or else you're never gonna get it right..."_

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Alex stared at the page, rereading the words again over and over. Miles sat crossly in front of him, with a smug look of pride almost, arms crossed as he smirked at Alex, who glanced up at him surprised.

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"Mi it's..."

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"Perfect for a chorus?"

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Alex nodded, suddenly flooded with more ideas. Inspiration hit him like a wave, crashing into him as his mind scrambled to hold onto any semblance of a line. He snatched the pencil from Miles' hands, his mind racing a mile a minute as he scrambled to write down the words that flowed.

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"Mi, grab a guitar while I work on these lyrics," Alex barked, hand moving swiftly, his mind calling for his extra pack of cigs from across the room, stopping momentarily to rip it open and light himself one. Miles soon returned after grabbing an acoustic near his desk, fingers going to work at a melody.

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Alex could barely believe that he was writing again, after three days of nothing.

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And just like the last time, it was because of _Miles_.

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_Aviation in the evening..._

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What was it about this man that he felt so connected to? Not just that they shared blood, but such a similar vein of writing.

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_I just can't leave it alone..._

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He glanced up in between his thought process to watch Miles as he mumbled the lyrics and fumbled with chords to find a fitting melody. Alex's heart was beating out of his chest, but he couldn't tell if it was from the rush of adrenaline sparked from his creativity, or from the connective spark from the man in front of him.

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_I reckon I just might have broke the ice..._

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What was it about him that inspired him? How did he manage to make this poetry flow from Alex's pencil in a way nothing else had in months?

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He gritted his teeth as the lead snapped under the forceful pressure he had applied, simultaneously snapping him out of his creative bubble for a momentary breather. Miles watched him as he read through the lyrics, trying to make sense of his own nonsense. His cigarette was stuck tightly between his fingers, barely smoked as the ash was nearly two centimeters long before he realized it was still there. The ash fell onto his black jeans, but he barely noticed as he started putting the stanzas together.

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"Mi...'ave a look at this?"

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He nodded, sliding the notebook off of Alex's knee while Alex battled the ash forming a spot on his jeans. He read through it, grabbing another pencil from the graveyard of them at Alex's feet. He hunched over the guitar, notebook on his knee as he started making marks on the paper. Alex watched him intently, the way his tongue grazed over his lips and stuck out some as he wrote, occasionally biting his lip much like Alex. They weren't too different, he'd come to realize.

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_Maybe that's why he picked me._

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\---

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They worked throughout the night, neither of them leaving to feed and only passing Miles' special flask to last them through the night. Miles had been the one to come up with the main melody, and had changed a few of Alex's lyrics, but left most untouched other than moving them to different places in the arrangement. Alex was in awe somewhat of how Miles managed to make sense of his scribbles and how well they bounced ideas off of each other, especially considering he normally didn't get along well with most when songwriting. He had been told he always got too crabby and overprotective of his unfinished lyrics, much like how he was at Miles at first. He'd tried songwriting with others in his past struggles with writers block, Jamie and Matt mainly, but it always seemed to end with him snapping at them in the end when they made suggestions. He always seemed to work better alone, confined in solitude matched only with a notebook and his guitar, but now...it just seemed easier with Miles writing with him.

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Alex groggily scratched his head, checking his watch, still laying in the comfy recliner. He'd dozed off a little earlier while Miles was fiddling with harmony parts and he'd had nothing else to do other than continue his chain smoking efforts. It was nearly 7:30am, the soft streams of sunlight trying to seep its way through some of the cracks in the thick curtains. This alarmed Alex, his eyes quickly darting about the room for Miles, whom he noticed was laying on his desk near his soundboard, snoozing away himself.

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It made Alex smile, poor guy had worked himself well into the morning for Alex's sake on a menial part of the song they could easily work on another day.

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_Why does he care about helping me so much?_

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Alex shrugged at the thought, too tired to take the effort of processing the idea, his eyes becoming heavy again soon enough, head resting on his hand as he propped his elbow on the arm of the chair. He slightly wished he had Miles' mind reading abilities as he wondered what Miles could be dreaming about. Miles told him that, from his research, powers were different for all of their kind, so it was likely he might never gain the ability.

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His thoughts soon started to dissipate as he slid into slumber, his own dreams and thoughts of Miles lulling him to sleep.

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End file.
